


Maybe In Another Lifetime: Drabbles

by margueritemeg



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Babysitting, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-04-22 15:00:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14311236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margueritemeg/pseuds/margueritemeg
Summary: A series of one-shots that take place in an AU where Ophelia refused to stay in New York and remained at Liam's side. Some things change, some stay the same. Contain's rewrites of scenes and beyond.Will accept requests.





	1. Don't Miss Me

“Liam!” Ophelia called out, running down through the halls looking for her boyfriend. Mentally cursing Eleanor for telling him about Jasper. 

She herself had been furious when the Princess had told her in confidence that the original reason for the bodyguard joining the royal household was to steal a priceless jewel. However, both women knew all to well that Liam’s temper had been getting the better of him since his father was killed. Especially when it came to people hurting his family.

Ophelia could only hope she got to Liam before he did something to Jasper he would regret. He may be a dick sometimes, but he was also one of the few people they could trust right now in finding out who murdered King Simon. 

It was times like this she was glad she refused to get off the plane when Liam had tried to abandon her in New York. He had meant well, not wanting for her to give up her dreams of dancing to be with him. But.. Her dreams had changed. She couldn’t say when they had. Perhaps it was in Monaco, or at the masquerade ball, but somewhere along way when Ophelia thought about what she wanted more than anything, it was to be with Liam.

And so she stayed. Her dad wasn’t too happy with her decision, but he accepted it eventually. Considering that they had bigger fish to fry than a disapproving father, the couple was thankful.

Ophelia heard Liam yelling down the hall and picked up her pace. Rounding the corner to see him pinning Jasper to the ground. They were both yelling.

“Liam stop! Listen to me!” Jasper pleaded as Ophelia ran to try and pull Liam away.

“Let go of him Liam!” Ophelia said as she tried to no avail to pry his hands off Jasper, but the Prince maintained his deathgrip.

“Liam! _I know who killed your father!_ ”

 

~~~

 

Jasper had put the video on loop.

She wanted to look away. Every part of her was _screaming_ at her to just _look away_. She had seen the picture Jasper had printed off, but Ophelia had to see it for herself. She had watched the video multiple times now. She knew the truth.

Her father was a murderer. 

The man who had sat on park bench and cried about his dead wife, had killed her boyfriend’s father, the King of England. Had most likely paid Boone to kill Prince Robert. Her father was a monster. 

Somewhere far away or just behind her, Ophelia could hear Liam screaming and crying at Jasper to let them out, but she couldn’t move. She thought back to the night The King was attacked, how after Liam left her father played that video of that reporter’s taunt. 

_”What would your mother think of you now Ophelia?”_

_”What would your mother think of you now Ophelia?”_

_”What would your mother think of you now Ophelia?”_

After Ophelia declared that her mother would be proud that she found someone she loved, she had gone to sleep. The next time she had seen her dad was in the safe room in the tunnels. He had been the picture of calm and professional. How had she not suspected him sooner? How had _anyone_ not suspect him sooner? 

Ted Pryce. The man whose wife died because of he had been protecting The King. It was the strongest motive out there. He knew the route King Simon would take on his walks. He knew where the security cameras would be. He was the only one that _could_ have done it.

Ophelia wanted to cry, but she couldn’t. She just stood there. She just watched as the only parent she had left kill King Simon over and over and over…

 

~~~

 

She and Liam got ready that morning in a daze.

She knew there was a very good chance that after today she would never see her father again. Though, in her heart, she knew that the father she knew was lost to her already.

Ophelia hadn’t been back to the clock tower since she’d seen the video. At least not while her father had been there. She had made sure that she was never alone with him. She vaguely wondered if he’d noticed. It didn’t matter now though.

Today they were going to reveal the video to a stadium filled with people who loved King Simon. The likelihood of him getting out unscathed was next to none.

The entire limo ride was silent. Every time her dad tried to make small talk with them Liam would grit his teeth and and clench her hand tighter.

 

~~~

 

“You know, don’t you?” He said to her as they walked behind Liam several feet to the center of the field. There was no doubt in father and daughter’s minds what he was referring to.

“Yes.” Ophelia said without looking at him.

“Ophelia-”

“Don’t” She interrupts sharply, turning towards him. “There’s nothing you can say that will change anything.” And with that she turns away as Liam begins his speech. As it draws to close, Ophelia watches the big screen with bated breath. 

_Please work, please work, please work._

A familiar floral arrangement appears she feels relieved and crushed at the same time, but then the image changes. 

The audience gasps in horror and then erupts in rage.

As the first few people jump onto the field her dad runs up a grabs Liam and then herself and starts rushing them to the car. More and more people begin to run after them. It’s like everyone in England is coming for them.

 _No._ Coming for her dad.

They reach the car and he pushes her in first with Liam right behind her.

“Get in!” Liam says. He looks at him and shakes his head before turning to her.

“Ophelia.” He says gently. “Don’t miss me.” With that, he slams the door and the car takes off. She quickly angles herself to look out the back window to see him just as he’s engulfed by the crowd.


	2. Pryce vs. Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia liked to think herself as a capable woman. She could outrun the paparazzi with ease these days. The pain of losing both her parents still hurt, but she survived and was stronger for it. Not to mention that all the scandals, secrets and lies over the past year that nearly threatened to destroy her relationship with Liam were but distant memories now.
> 
> “I’m sorry, you want me to _what_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from Superhero_Nephilim. This may not be EXACTLY what you asked for but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Ophelia liked to think of herself as a capable woman. She could outrun the paparazzi with ease these days. The pain of losing both her parents still hurt, but she survived and was stronger for it. Not to mention that all the scandals, secrets and lies over the past year that nearly threatened to destroy her relationship with Liam were but distant memories now.

So she was definitely _not_ going to be beat by a little girl at a game of hide and seek.

 

~~~

 

“I’m sorry, you want me to _what_?” Ophelia had said two hours earlier.

“Babysit Sarah Alice.” Len said simply. Not at all phased by Ophelia’s _are-you-kidding-me?_ tone. 

“Why?” Ophelia asked then crossed her arms. “Better yet, why are _you_ asking and not James?” Eleanor blushed and looked down at her studded heels as if they were suddenly the most interesting things in the world. 

“I may have told him that Jasper and I would watch her for the night.” She said to her shoes before looking up. Ophelia groaned, realizing what the princess was doing.

“So you lied to the chief of security about watching his daughter on his night off so you could sneak out of the palace with your boyfriend?” 

“Exactly!” Len exclaimed smiling. Ophelia crossed her arms across her chest. Eleanor sighed.

“Look Phi, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I knew you’d say no. I just really need some alone time with Jasper. Things have been crazy since Robbie got back, ya know?”

Ophelia did know. What with Helena and Robert dictating every single move the family made in public and the constant efforts to secure favor with the Privy Council, The Henstridges and Ophelia had been more or less on house arrest. It hadn’t bothered her and Liam as much since they had kept most of their dates close to home since the King’s Cup. Len was a different story however. 

While she may not be as heavy drinker anymore and significantly cut back on the amount of drugs she took, she was still at her core, a party princess.

“Please Phi! It’ll only be a few hours! We’ re going to a local club to see a band and maybe a hotel after, but we’ll be back by midnight at the latest!” Len looked at her pleadingly. Ophelia felt the last her resolve disappear.

“Fine!” She said grumpily. “But you owe me one, big time!”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Eleanor squealed, throwing her arms around her. She pulled back then yelled. “Jasper! She said yes! Bring her in!”

The bodyguard entered the room with Sarah Alice hoisted by the back of her overalls as she chatted away about something.

“James said to make sure she’s in bed by 9.” Jasper said as he dropped her on the couch. He smiled at Ophelia. “She’s your problem now.” Eleanor hit his arm lightly.

“Hush!” She said then leaned down to look at the little girl. “You’ll be good for Ophelia, won’t you Sarah Alice?”

“Of course, Princess!” She said nodding.

“Excellent!” Len took Jasper’s hand and led him out of the room before shouting back. “Good luck, Phi!” 

And with that, Ophelia and Sarah Alice were left alone. 

“So…” She said, unhelpfully remembering that she hadn’t babysat since she was 15. “Do you want to play hide and seek?”

 

~~~

 

It was a terrible idea.

Not only had Ophelia not thought of that Sarah Alice, as a little girl, would be a master at this game. But now she realized that she probably should have told her not to stray too far.

Now it was almost an hour later and Ophelia still had absolutely no idea where her charge was. Kicking her competitive side into overdrive only to no avail. She couldn’t find her anywhere.

“Shit.” She murmured under her breath as she came out from checking the not-so-secret tunnels. She heard someone chuckle and she whirled around to see Liam looking at her bemusedly.

“Lost something?”

“More like _someone_.” Ophelia sighed and leaned against the wall. “Sarah Alice.”

“I thought Len and Jasper were watching her?” He said. Ophelia just raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh.”

“ _Oh._ ” she repeated mockingly. “How is she _this good_ at hide and seek?”

“Ophelia Pryce, master of hiding from the press can’t find a girl in the palace she’s lived in for years?”

“James is going to kill me!” She groaned burying her face in her hands in shame.

“As the girlfriend to a prince of England, I’m pretty sure that’s against his job description.” He laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we can find her.”

“How?” Ophelia asked. “I’ve already looked everywhere for her!”

“Her father is head of security, I’m sure he’s shown her lots of good places to hide if she’s ever here if we have a security breach.” Liam smiled mischievously. “Lucky for you though I happen to know where all those places are.”

 

~~~

 

“Found you! I win!” Ophelia declared happily as they opened the secret cupboard inside the bay window.

“Took you long enough! I was in here forever!” Sarah Alice said with her lisp. 

“It was not forever!” Ophelia said defending herself to the little girl as she climbed out.

“Was too!” She stopped when she noticed Liam was also with them. “Hey! You cheated! You wasn’t supposed to have help!”

“She’s right, Ophelia.” said Liam. “I think that means you win Sarah Alice!”

“Yay!” She said as Ophelia shouted. “What?”

Liam shrugs. “Rules are rules.”

“Whatever, come on Sarah Alice, it’s your bedtime.” She said masking how much a kick to her pride this whole game had been.

“Nooo. I don’t want to go to bed!” She ran over and buried her face in Liam’s leg, obviously seeing him as an ally after he took her side in hide and seek. “Don’t let her make me go to bed!”

Liam and Ophelia exchanged a look. As adorable as it was to see her cling to him, they both knew she would need to get to bed eventually or they’d face her father’s wrath.

“Alright.” Ophelia said, feigning defeat. “I suppose the three of use could watch a Disney movie in one of the guest rooms, but-”

“Yes! Let’s do that!” Sarah Alice grabbed Liam’s hand and then Ophelia’s as she dragged them away with all the might tiny arms could muster. “I want to watch Snow White! Or maybe Frozen! I like Beauty and the Beast but I just watched it no that long ago. What princess is your favourite? I think mine is Cinderella, but I like the other princesses as well.”

 

~~~

 

There was a sound of a camera going off, which woke up Liam with a start.

He was confused for a moment as to where he was and why before he remembered he had been watching The Little Mermaid with Sarah Alice and Ophelia. He must have fallen asleep. 

As his vision cleared he saw his sister standing over him with her phone in hand and a sentimental smile on her face.

Eleanor brought a finger to her lips then pointed beside him on the bed.

Sarah Alice was nestled between him and Ophelia, both of them still fast asleep. Liam smiled. All the stress from earlier had been wiped from his girlfriend's face as she was snuggled up against the little girl. Len collected the battery drained laptop from the foot of the bed gestured for him to go back to sleep as she left the room.

The next morning, he saw that she had sent the photo of the three of them to his phone, along with a message.

_You three look SOOOOO cute together! If I didn’t know any better I’d have thought Sarah Alice was YOUR daughter!_

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments/kudos! I hope no one was too out of character, especially Ophelia. I figured she would have to shut off her emotions for awhile after discovering what her dad did in order to make sure that the plan would work.
> 
> If you have any requests please leave them either here or on my tumblr: marguerite-writes


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